Atomic force microscopy is used to probe shapes and properties of materials on a micrometer or nanometer length scale. In an atomic force microscope (AFM), a cantilever interacts with the materiel. Many AFMs use a piezoelectric member to position or actuate the cantilever. However, mechanical actuation of the cantilever leads to excitation of spurious mechanical resonances that interfere with measurement of the properties.
Accordingly, advances in hardware for surface characterization would be well-received in the art.